Opus has partnered with Always Food Safe to offer ANSI-accredited Food Handlers and Food Manager Certification training for the food service industry. Always Food Safe is a specialist web-based e-learning provider that offers fully video-based online training. They are accepted by State & Local Health Inspectors and their training aligns with Opus' interactive, media-rich and engaging training platform.
Food Handlers Certification
The Food Handlers certification is designed for hourly employees (non-supervisors) and consists of one module and an exam. This certification is encouraged and accepted in all states except for:
Alaska, Riverside & San Bernardino County in CA, Clark County in Nevada, New York City, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Washington State, Washington DC, and West Virginia.
The pricing for this certification is one credit per assignment, which includes the module and exam. The module time for completion is approximately 2 hours, and the certification is valid for 3 years. Once the module is completed in Opus, trainees will be instructed on the final page of the module to navigate to the Always Food Safe portal to take the Food Handlers exam. They will need to create an account with Always Food Safe to receive the certificate upon completion. The exam requirements include a minimum passing score of 75%.
Food Manager Certification
The Food Manager certification is designed for supervisors and non-hourly employees and consists of one module and an exam. Once the module is completed in Opus, trainees will be instructed on the final page of the module to navigate to the Always Food Safe portal to sign up to take the Food Manager exam. The exam must be proctored by an internal proctor through Always Food Safe. Customers must identify an admin or manager(s) on their team to become an internal proctor. To learn more about how to become an internal proctor through Always Food Safe, click here.
According to FDA code, having a Certified Food Protection Manager (obtained by completing Food Manager) is a requirement for all restaurants in all states. This certificate is valid for 5 years.
Always Food Safe's Food Manager Certification is accepted across all 50 states.
| Food Handlers Certificate | Food Manager Certificate |
Pricing | 1 credit per assignment | 10 credits |
Time to Completion | 2 hours for module completion, ~30 mins for exam | ~4-8 hours for module completion, 2 hour timed exam |
Exam Requirements | Online exam, 75% minimum passing score | Online exam, must be overseen by internal proctor, 70% minimum passing score, 2 free exam attempts |
How to Take the Food Handlers & Food Manager Exams
Unlike other forms of compliance training in Opus, the examination portion of the Food Handlers and Food Manager modules will be completed in the Always Food Safe Portal.
How it Works
Once the trainee has completed the module, the final screen will contain a unique partner link (provided by AFS) that will redirect them to the AFS portal.
From there, they'll need to create an account in the AFS portal. This account is essential as the certificate of completion will be issued by AFS, not Opus.
For the Food Handlers exam, trainees will be able to begin the exam immediately, without the support of a proctor
For the Food Managers exam, managers will need to coordinate a testing date and time so that the appointed internal proctor can administer and oversee the exam session.
FAQ's
Is Always Food Safe's certification the same as other food safety manager exams?
Yes! The Always Food Safe Company, Food Protection Manager exam is equivalent to the Food Protection Manager certification programs from the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals (NRFSP), Learn2Serve (360training.com), ServSafe (National Restaurant Association), and Prometric. The exam is ANSI accredited, meaning that it meets the required national standards for Food Protection Manager Certification Programs.
Is Always Food Safe's food handler certificate different from ServSafe or other companies?
It's the same thing! Servsafe is similar to Always Food Safe in that it is one of the training providers that have achieved ANSI Accreditation status. There are several other training providers who have also attained ANSI accreditation.
This means that you can be assured that all ANSI accredited companies have gone through a rigorous checking process to ensure they meet the standards required.
The course content is basically the same, although chapter headings and the order of the chapters may vary. All courses include cooking temperatures, fridge/freezer temperatures, bacterial multiplication, cleaning, and pest control because these items must be in-line with current Government guidelines. (FDA Food Code 2017).
When must I renew my food safety training?
Again, different states, counties, and cities have different rules on how often they expect you to refresh your Food Handler learning – in some places it’s every year and in others, every 3 years. Check our information on your local requirements for more information.
What if I operate in a state or city where AFS’ Food Handlers Certificate is not accepted?
Businesses will then need to defer to the state or city-preferred food safety training for food handlers. FDA law requires that at least one Certified Food Protection Manager be on-site during any shift, which is why FM is accepted in all states. For non-supervisors (FH), the process will vary depending on the local health department.
How do I track module completion and certification?
You’ll be able to track completion and compliance in Opus under “Reporting” and the new Compliance Reporting dashboard.